Tag: trusolar

My concern about the environment has forced me to become aware of the products used around me. One area that I decided to focus on was my home and simple changes that I could make to live green and help the world for future generations.

Luckily for me, around the same time that I decided to focus on these issues, interior designers began looking for ways to market green products. I love my bamboo floors and chose them for their environmentally friendly luxury. Unwanted carpet is a major item dumped into landfills and the amount that ends up there is horrendous.

I prefer carpet in my bedrooms and was fortunate that DuPont had created a line of carpeting that is made out of corn-based polymers, which is a renewable source. I ordered it and have been happy with the softness it provides for my family and you’d never know that it was a green product.

It’s every bit as comfortable as our regular carpet used to be and with the stain-resistant fibers I don’t have to worry about my kids spilling on it. So far, my carpet has been durable and I found out recently that manufacturing it took 30% less energy and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 60% during production. With this new information I was able to appreciate it all over again.

When I remodeled my home to be green I researched paint and discovered that eco-friendly paints are for sale. They have lower levels of Volatile Organic Compounds, which are chemicals that are expelled into the air. It was pleasant to paint with a mixture that had no smell and we were able to move our furniture right back into the house after it had dried. This saved me a lot of time and we were only out of our home for a few days. It’s a relief to know that the paint on my walls isn’t contributing to air quality issues within my house.

Lighting is an area that I struggle with the most because I have never liked the glow that comes from energy efficient light bulbs. I forced myself to change them anyway because it seemed rather silly to make all of the other changes I had committed to and not change the least expensive item on my list. A few years ago, Congress focused on lighting and passed an energy act that will force manufacturers to sell light bulbs that use 25% less electricity for the total light emitted.

In 2012 changes will be happening with light bulbs and several companies have created lights that offer consumers like me 75% greater efficiency. I intend to purchase those to save the highest amount of energy possible. The bulbs cost more and when they need to be replaced I have to make sure my family places them in the recycling bin instead of just throwing them away. However, the energy savings should make up for the additional costs and I like knowing that I’m doing what I can to help the environment.

It was exciting for me to discover that I could keep my favorite style and still be considerate towards the environment. I love a clean traditional style and was thrilled that adding natural stone granite countertops to my kitchen and bathrooms was an eco-friendly way to update my home. I also stripped the front of my kitchen cabinets and stained them a lighter shade to update them.

A few simple fixes can make a home eco-friendly and by updating my home I’m teaching my children how to be responsible toward our future.

L. R. Powell helps people who want to become an interior designer. He is an eco friendly air conditioning systems expert too and writes LG AC Reviews to help home owners plan their own ac system.

Want to Start Making Solar Power at Home? Check out these instructions for building your own solar power. Includes videos, ebook, diagrams, and all the plans you need to get off the power grid and start saving some green while going green.

Homemade solar power can be very easy to set-up, contrary to common belief and it can save you a lot of money. In fact, solar power for your home can be done with some products probably already lying around the house, and the rest can be purchased at a home improvement store.

The proper angling of your solar panels on your roof is vital to make sure you get the most out of them. With the right angle to the sun, your solar panels will get a lot of usable energy from it. Without the right angle to the sun, even having a great DIY solar power kit will not affect your power bill as much as it should. As a general rule, if you live north of the equater you will want to have your solar panels facing south. Shady areas are also important to avoid as it will cut down on your electricity produced. If even part of your solar panel is in the shade it can cut it’s efficiency in half.

It is a good idea to check with your area as to how much sun it gets during the year and what are the least sunny times so you can make your solar kit to compensate for the darker weeks and months of the year.

Batteries make up the mist vital part of the homemade solar power system. Batteries are essential because they allow you to have power even when the sun is not shining or when it is cloudy and the solar panels are not producing as much electricity. If you are dead set against using batteries you will have to find a way to contact your power company and hook up the solar panel system to your power grid. Deep cycle batteries are the best kind to get and they will not have to be replaced for many years of proper usage. Deep cycle batteries will not result in major loss of energy capacity over the years and will work like a horse for a long time.

There is another item that is absolutely essential in your homemade solar power system and that is a charge controller. This controller will make sure that your batteries are not drained all the way or filled up too much, which makes the batteries last longer.

And for the last part of your homemade solar power project you will want a way to make the Direct Current of your solar panel, into Alternating Current, used in your home. In order to accomplish this you will need to obtain an inverter. Some inverter systems have very simple wiring that can be configured by a novice without any electrical experience, but a little electric knowledge will help. I highly recommend having a professional electrician help hook everything up for you and making sure it is all up to code.

I would not be surprised if you did everything properly, that your solar power system would last you for 15 to 20 years with no major problems. These 15-20 years will be spent saving a lot of money when you look at that period of time. Even when your neighbors loose electricity because of a storm or accident, you will still have the sun, giving you lasting energy for years to come.

Are you using a solar powered attic fan in your house? If not you may want to do a little bit of research. The heat that build up in an attic can be unbearable to walk around in, but it can also cost you a lot of money if you just let that air sit up there. Without proper attic ventilation, your attic will just radiate heat through the ceilings and floors of your home and drive the AC costs way up.

Another problem caused by improper ventilation can also occur in the winter time. When the snow fall on the roof, the warmth of the attic will cause it to melt and then heavy icicles begin to form on the gutters and edges of the home. They may seem pretty, but they can do a lot of damage. Also, any time of year, all of that moisture that builds up in the attic needs to be vented properly, or you will have mold and fungus problems, and even the plywood can become damaged over time.

What’s the best solution?

A solar powered attic ventilation fan. These fans will not need any electrical wires going to it since it will be powered by the sun. And on the hottest days when you need to vent that attic air the most, you will always have plenty of power to get the fan running and lowering the overall cost to keep your home cool and comfortable.

Benefits of a solar powered attic vent:

Costs nothing to operate

The motors are completely silent

Very easy to install

Some come with thermal switches, which turns the fan on when it’s over a certain temperature.

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The truSolar® Working Group is a consortium of leading solar market participants which exists to establish uniform credit screening standards for commercial and industrial PV projects and, in turn, enhance availability of lower cost capital to drive our industry forward.